Chapter 6: Promoting Health in Australia

Question 1

Health promotion

Answer 1

• A process that enables people to improve their health by bettering and increasing their control over factors of health (social, environmental and economic)
• Relies on the coordination of services beyond health services to address a wide range of health issues
• E.g. social marketing, education, legislation and regulations

Question 2

Features of effective health promotion

Answer 2

• Long term affordability with adequate funding
• Respectful of the culture and values of its target group
• Planning and decision making involves locals
• Empowers people with skills and knowledge
• Allows for feedback
• Accessible to vulnerable population groups
• Involves partnerships (government, private organisations and community groups working together)

Question 3

What to look for when asked to evaluate the effectiveness of health promotion

Answer 3

• A rise or fall in relevant health statistics
  
  • E.g. decreased mortality rates from skin cancer
• High participation/engagement rates
  
  • E.g. high installment rate of the My QuitBuddy app
• Behavioural changes among individuals/groups
  
  • E.g. lower rates of intoxicated driving

Question 4

Why smoking is targeted

Health promotion

Answer 4

• Risk factor for various cancers, CVD, reproductive problems in women, diabetes mellitus and arthritis
• Also affects nonsmokers (passive smoking)
• Leading contributor to death and burden of disease
• Further increases inequities in health as vulnerable population groups are more likely to smoke

Question 5

Barriers to quitting and enablers to smoking

Answer 5

• Barriers
  
  • Low confidence in ability to quit
  • Lack of support from friends and family
  • Perceived cost of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
  • Heavy nicotine dependence
• Enablers
  
  • Parental and peer smoking
  • Daily stress
  • Marketing by tobacco companies
  • Limited opportunities for enjoyment and recreation

Question 6

Examples of health promotion to address smoking

Answer 6

• QUIT Program by Cancer Council Victoria
  
  • Encourages and supports people to quit smoking
  • Mainly for preventative health reasons
• National Tobacco Campaign
  
  • Focuses on vulnerable groups e.g. ATSI or rural groups
• My QuitBuddy app
  
  • Helps individuals quit smoking on their own terms

Question 7

How QUIT reflects the OCHP

Answer 7

• B – assisted in implementing laws e.g. tobacco ad ban
• C – improved the physical environment by working to ban smoking in public places (↓ impact of passive smoking)
• S – collaborates with VicHealth, schools and community groups to increase the success of its initiatives
• D – invests in media campaigns to provide advice and strategies to assist quitting
• R – provides learning opportunities for health professionals to support their patients in quitting

Question 8

How the National Tobacco Campaign reflects the OCHP

Answer 8

• C – developed the MQB app to offer encouragement and support for people trying to quit
• D – provides information and advice via its website
• R – provides health professional specialised info to assist them in supporting individuals to quit

Question 9

Why road safety is targeted

Answer 9

• Transport accidents are a leading cause of hospitalisation
• Transport accident deaths are preventable
• Road crashes have a significant economic impact (i.e. cost of treatment, rehabilitation, lost productivity and income)

Question 10

Factors that promote road safety

Answer 10

• Roads – good road signage and tactile edging on roads
• Drivers – practising driving etiquette e.g. eliminating distractions such as mobile devices
• Vehicles – safety features e.g. emergency brakes
• Road laws – speed limits and mandatory seatbelts

Question 11

Examples of health promotion to address road safety

Answer 11

• Towards Zero
  
  • Aims to save lives and reduce injuries
  • Believes that everyone has a shared responsibility
• Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP)
  
  • Makes consumers more aware of the safety of the vehicle
  • Encourages manufacturers to make their vehicles safer

Question 12

How Towards Zero reflects the OCHP

Question 13

How the ANCAP reflects the OCHP

Question 14

Melanoma vs non-melanoma skin cancer

Answer 14

• Melanoma – starts from cells in the skin called melanocytes (produce melanin that gives the colour to skin)
  
  • Most fatal type of skin cancer as it can grow and spread rapidly around the body
• Non-melanoma – does not start in melanocyte cells

Question 15

Risk factors for skin cancer

Answer 15

• Ultra violet (UV) radiation – exposure can damage DNA and increase the risk of skin cancer
• Family history – those who have a family history of skin cancer are at a significantly higher risk of developing it
• Age – risk of being diagnosed generally increases with age
• Skin type – melanin in the skin protects it from the sun (puts people with fairer skin at greater risk)
• Gender – males (more likely to work outdoors) tend to be more likely to develop melanoma than females

Question 16

Skin cancer

Answer 16

• Uncontrolled and abnormal growth of skin cells

Question 17

Initiatives to improve ATSI HWB

Question 18

Close the Gap campaign

Answer 18

• Goal is to improve the health and LE of ATSI people so that it reaches the same standard of the rest of Australia’s population

Question 19

Evaluating the effectiveness of health promotion among ATSI populations

Answer 19

• Presentation of programs in a culturally appropriate manner e.g. implementation of relevant cultural traditions
• Access to interpreter services to address language barriers
• Programs located in places that ATSI peoples reside/frequent
• Easily accessible
• Addresses the needs of the Indigenous community
• Delivered, planned and implemented by Indigenous people
• Focuses on education and developing knowledge
• Fosters partnerships and collaboration

Question 20

Targets of the ‘Close the Gap’ campaign

Answer 20

• Close the gap in LE within a generation
• Sustainably reduce violence against ATSI women and children
• Increase the proportion of ATSI peoples living in appropriately sized housing
• Increase the proportion of ATSI students in the top two bands of NAPLAN

Question 21

Aboriginal Road to Good Health

Answer 21

• Free program run by Aboriginal health workers that is designed to promote healthy lifestyles with the aim of preventing conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart disease

Question 22

How the Road to Good Health reflects the OCHP

Answer 22

• Develop personal skills
  
  • Education is provided regarding health literacy, how to get active, and how to maintain a healthy weight which helps to develop personal skills
• Create supportive environments
  
  • By supporting ATSI workers and health professionals, the program is able to create supportive social environments

Question 23

Why skin cancer is targeted

Answer 23

• It is one of the most commonly diagnosed skin cancers in Australia
• It poses significant economic burden
• Contributes significantly to BOD in Australia

Question 24

SunSmart program aims

Answer 24

• To improve awareness, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding skin cancer prevention
• To support priority populations to detect skin cancers earlier
• To advocate for measures that aim to reduce the health and economic burdens of skin cancer